Judge shot dead as man on trial 'opens first in packed courtroom'

Police officers deployed to the scene (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

An Appeals Court judge has been shot dead after the man whose trial he was presiding over opened fire with a gun inside the courtroom itself, also injuring the two people standing against him in the case. Judge Astrit Kalaja died of his injuries on the way to hospital after the tragic incident in the Albanian capital of Tirana. The suspect was immediately arrested on the scene by the authorities. The case was reportedly over a property dispute, and the man shot the judge as he knew he was going to lose, according to local media.

A father and son in the trial were also shot and taken to hospital, but are in a stable condition. Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, said the event was “tragic” and called for harsher sentencing for gun-related crimes. Bajram Begaj, the country’s president, added that it was “a terrible attack against the entire justice system!”

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